Season 3, Ep 6: Richard Denniss calls bullsh-t

“We don’t need a new economics to tackle most of these problems, we just need less bullsh-t.” - Richard Denniss

Chief economist and Executive Director of The Australia Institute, Richard Denniss, joins us for a frank and refreshing look behind the curtain of economics, politics and power. He says the real power of economics is to conceal power itself, and make the indefensible sound inevitable and justifiable.

We’ve made people feel silly for not understanding economics, he argues, rather than angry about the decisions that are being made.

“In Norway, they tax their fossil fuel industry and give young people free education. In Australia, we subsidise our fossil fuel industry, and charge people a lot of money to go to uni. That’s why politics matters. That’s why democracy matters. And neoliberalism’s greatest legacy is to convince people that we don’t have those choices,” he says.

Richard has devoted his career to debunking ‘Econobabble’, injecting solutions and honesty into the public debate, and helping those on the ground fighting the good fight. He is co-author, with Clive Hamilton, of the best-selling book, “Affluenza: When Too Much is Never Enough” and Quarterly Essays like “Dead Right: How Neoliberalism ate itself and what comes next,” among many other publications.

This is a remarkably clarifying and entertaining discussion, with equal parts laughter and righteous rage.

This episode of the reMAKERS was recorded on the lands of the Gubbi Gubbi people, in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.  We honour the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters, and pay our respect to Elders past and present.

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Show notes

Things we mention

• Fossil fuel subsidies

• Middle Arm project in Darwin — federal funding for gas industry expansion

• Stage 3 tax cuts

• National Anti-Corruption Commission

• The Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme

• Labor backing down on multinational corporate tax transparency

• Australia Institute polling on Stage 3 tax cuts

• Australia Institute research on what’s driving inflation

• Webinar with Stephanie Kelton and Richard Denniss (video recording)

• Community progress association in Warkworth taking on Rio Tinto

Recommendations and things you can do

• Visit the Australia Institute to find and follow their work and discussions.

• Check out their podcast (search ‘Follow the Money’ wherever you listen to podcasts).

• Talk to your MP, write a letter to the editor, join a group, get active.

• Donate to support these conversations and the work of Australia reMADE.

• Subscribe to the reMAKERS podcast (hit ‘follow’ in your podcast app). Share on social, write a review, tell a friend.

• Join the conversation. Find us on social media (@Australia reMADE) or email us at podcast@AustraliareMADE.org.